DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University entered the final innings in a tie game for the third-straight contest, but this time Duke found a way to post two runs in the top of the ninth inning to get a 7-5 win over the Eagle on Tuesday, April 9 at the Durham Athletic Park.
NCCU (14-18) made its way onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning with three runs as both
Carter Williams (Brown Summit, N.C.) and
Myles Coston (Pittsburg, Calif.) knocked RBI singles, and
Nick Fajardo (Durham, N.C.) brought home a run as well.
Duke (18-15) leveled the game in the top of the second inning after Chris Crabtree (Bahama, N.C.) cleared the bases an inside the park home run hit off the wall deep in center field to tie the game at 3-3. The Blue Devils went on to add two more runs on a double from Chase Cheek (Orlando, Fla.) in the top of the third, and then a bases loaded walk in the fourth to move ahead, 5-3.
The Eagles rallied to draw back to even terms in the bottom of the sixth as
Josh Brammell (Harrison City, Pa.) ripped an RBI single and later came in to score on an error to move the score to 5-5. Both sides had opportunities to break the deadlock, but fantastic diving catches on defense from both centerfielders, Kennie Taylor (Tampa, Fla.) for Duke and Fajardo for the Eagles kept the game tied into the late stages.
Duke finally regained its advantage in the top of the ninth after a pair of two-out doubles from Kyle Gallagher (Endwell, N.Y.) and Cheek sent the Blue Devils ahead 7-5, and Thomas Girard (Simsbury, Conn.) worked the final three outs for his fourth save of the season.
Brammell led the Eagles with three hits, and he touched home twice with an RBI. Coston went 2-for-3 with an RBI as well, and
Bryceson Hernandez (Cary, N.C.) hit his first career double and also came in to score in the bottom of the sixth inning as he helped to start the Eagles' rally.
Crabtree had two hits with his three RBI as he added a double with his inside the park home run, and Cheek, Taylor, and Joey Loperfido (Haddonfield, N.J.) each had two hits.
NCCU returns to MEAC Southern Division play on Friday, April 12 against North Carolina A&T at 6:00 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina.
